small business
IN THE MOMENT Giftguide chats to the founders of CARDBOARD., who believe that people still want to connect with one another in a thoughtful and considered way.
T
he inspiration behind launching CARDBOARD. stemmed from founders Portia Austin and Ali Head’s own frustrations as consumers, where they were constantly unsatisfied with the traditional, expensive and uninspired designs prevalent in the greeting card industry. “We were motivated to offer something more creative, fun and affordable to people,” the duo says. “Not to mention in 2023, stopping at a convenience store at 22
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the 11th hour to buy an overpriced and unoriginal greeting card is not our definition of convenience. No matter what stage of life you are at, there always comes a point in time where you need a greeting card.” The business made its debut in October 2023, which considering the current cost of living crisis could raise some eyebrows, however, Austin and Head didn’t think twice. “The world is incredibly unpredictable and quite frankly
a little scary right now, so in our opinion we think it’s the perfect time to launch. “We have had a challenge to overcome nearly every day. We are in full small business mode at the moment, dealing with small little fires on a daily basis. Our biggest challenge to date was probably getting the product right. We want an affordable product, but also high quality and sustainable. For us, being sustainable and socially responsible is simply